THE Shannonside Winter Music Festival is now in its sixteenth year. The festival this year will feature over 70 events from concerts, music sessions to set dancing and poetry.
There are free fleadh style sessions along with poetry, singers’ sessions, and pub gigs all weekend in the Clare village, and an extensive selection of ticketed events including set dancing, intimate concerts and the concert trail in Bunratty Folk Park.
Here are a few highlights to check out…
The Acafellas
THE vocal trio sing folk ballads and songs from the musicals. The Acafellas take well known songs from across the genres and refresh them with unusual arrangements. They have played nationwide from RTE’s John Murray Show to The Volvo Ocean Race in Galway.
The Cintron Brothers
THE Cintron Brothers play a mix of World, Latin, and Flamenco music. They promise to take their audience through a journey that moves them to dance, sing and cry. For fans of World Music and Gypsy Kings.
CROSSharbour is a new group to emerge from London’s thriving traditional Irish music scene. Fusing well loved traditional tunes and songs with self-penned material and original arrangements, their star is rising in the folk world.
The Boat Band
THE Boat Band hooked us with their pun filled blurb and told Limerick Post that the group has spent “over 25 years trawling the venues of Britain and beyond, and have netted a huge catch of tunes. Creole, Caribbean, gospel, Cajun, Irish, zydeco and blues. Not much slips through the net”. Lately, they’ve added a shoal of English tunes and songs alongside the already eclectic offerings.
Lou McMahon
LOU McMahon is a contemporary songwriter from Sixmilebridge. Her song ‘Wide Eyed Lady’ features on the 2014 release ‘Ultimate Guide to Irish Folk’. Lou has worked with renowned Irish musicians and Terry Woods of The Pogues.
The Blues Train
BLUES Train with Johnny Fean was formed four years ago to play old blues standards, mostly in the Chicago style. Horslips legend Johnny Fean is joined by vocalist, harmonica and sax player Brendan ‘Stoney’ Wall. The Bunratty choirboy Cathal Jones plays piano, and Darragh O’Connor and Mike Quinn play drums and bass respectively. Not to be missed.
The Eskies
THE Eskies’ music meanders from sea-soaked waltz to Italian tarantella, from chaingang holler to ragtime finger-snap. They have toured this unique brand of folk noir/ gypsy-jazz and their fine beards with swaggering showmanship the length and breadth of the country.
Their debut album ‘After The Sherry Went ’Round’ is due for release in Spring 2015.
The Shannonside Winter Music Festival runs from Thursday January 15 to Monday January 19 at various venues at Sixmilebridge and Bunratty Folk Park. Most of the acts featured will play multiple gigs, see www..wmw.ie for details.
